Put the smack down somehow, Rod

There’s two sides to this of course- sure, I ride the train every day and I desperately want funding so I can afford it. But also, CTA top brass is a bunch of douchebags. I’m sick of their passive aggressive campaigns to scare riders, and if it means all the desk jockeys get fired and live long, miserable lives I don’t care what happens. Is it too late to add an addendum to the bill stating that anyone who works for the CTA accounting department has to flee the city, excommunication style?

The CTA is my dirty, dirty crackwhore. In addition to getting that whore an income, I’d like to get her a shower and some anti-biotics. Sadly I think this bill may just enable her, and unlike all the rich people making these decisions I have to keep riding her.

The CTA has essentially made every pension and organizational reform the legislature has asked it to. The GA made these demands and said if they didn’t shape up their ship then they wouldn’t get any funding. In fact, some of the costs they cut vis a vis unions are dependent on new funding. If they don’t get this funding, those cost savings go away which is why they’re in the mess they’re in.

If you need someone to blame, let’s cast an eye on hizzoner before we start slinging mud at office drones or rude conductors. He claims it’s not his responsibility, but he also has been known to be very hands on. The fact that he had Kreusi in office, alienating folks in Springfield for so long is reason enough to lay this on his doorstep, and that’s just the beginning.

I’m sure it’s partially Hizzoner’s fault- that should go without saying. He can totally get shitcanned.

As for rude conductors- there are so many of these that I refuse to delay “slinging mud” at them. I’m not saying some of them aren’t kind cool people. I’m saying tons of them are unmonitored lazy jackoffs.

You know…I know tons of people that work for CTA. I won’t deny that there job is as challenging as any other. But I do have to say…I am shocked to find that bus drivers make $35-45 dollars an HOUR plus benefits and retirement. WOW! is all I have to say. Do you think that this has contributed to the problem. Everytime I ride the bus or train, I can’t believe how rude the CTA employees are. One could only imagine that at that pay rate, you would be as nice as you possibly can. Assuming your miserable, work elsewhere. This goes beyond desk jockeys and paper pushers. This is also about the amount of money spent on law suits etc. I stopped riding the bus and train…one reason…not price, rather they are extremely unreliable. Have you ever been standing at a stop and two busses pull up at the same time?

I have experienced my fair share of lazy or rude drivers, conductors and attendants on the CTA. However, I have also witnessed CTA employees shrug off abuse that would give a telemarketer pause. I have seen no official figures on CTA salaries, but they deserve a hefty chunk of change just for putting up with the nutjobs who plop down at the front of the bus and talk the driver’s ear off for half the day. Or the ones who make the driver lower the handicapped-accessible gate so they can pile their six trash bags, two suitcases and a grocery cart onto the bus, just to make the driver do it all over again so they can get off two blocks later. I have seen people spit on drivers. I’ve seen people physically and verbally abuse them. And I’ve seen those same drivers be totally cool and let me ride after my Chicago Card stopped working. All three times.